Rome, Ga. - The Lady Hawks softball team can now call themselves SSAC champions. Following a 10-9 and 5-0 win over Faulkner University, Shorter has claimed the number one seed in the SSAC tournament beginning on Thursday at the Alto Park Softball Complex in Rome. This is the second year in a row that the Lady Hawks have captured the regular season title.

In the first game, Faulkner got on the board first with a one-run third inning.

In the fourth inning, Shorter retaliated with two runs of their own on a Kandi Bruno two-RBI single that scored both Amanda Albertson and Kayla Lewis. It was short-lived, however, as two home runs from Faulkner put four runs on the board for the visiting Lady Eagles, to make the game 5-2.

After a grand slam from the Lady Eagles made it 9-2 in the top of the sixth inning, it was the Lady Hawks' turn to add some runs. A three-run home run from Jessica Sanders scored Albertson and Bruno added three, after Libby Munson and Bruno each sent runs home, to make it a 9-7 ball game.

In the seventh, a solo home run from Lakyn Newton with no outs put the game within one. After two outs, another solo home run, this time from Kali Milford, sent the game into extra innings at nine a piece.

A dramatic eighth inning for Shorter was started by a Munson double. Sanders then singled to send Munson to third, and Munson scored the winning run on a Kerry Hammond RBI single, Hawks up 10-9.

Milford led the way for the Lady Hawks with three hits.

Becca Thomas started the game for the Lady Hawks, pitching 4.1 innings. Munson came in and got the win (22-2), with 3.2 innings pitched and six strikeouts. Faulkner's Emily Jimmerson got the loss.

In the second game, both Hammond and Lindsey McDaniel singled in the bottom of the second inning for Shorter. After Newton grounded out to advance both runners, a Liz Clark single scored both runners to put Shorter ahead 2-0.

The Lady Hawks put two more on the board in the bottom of the third on a two-RBI single from McDaniel.

Munson added an insurance run for Shorter in the fifth on a Faulkner misplayed grounder.

Munson was the winning pitcher for Shorter (23-2), giving up five hits and striking out five. She also helped herself out by going 3-for-3 with two runs.

Shorter College will now take the first seed in the Southern States Athletic Conference beginning on Thursday at the Alto Park Softball Complex in Rome. The tournament will be played through Saturday and live stats and bracket information can be found on Shorter College's Web site as well as the SSAC site.